1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of telecommunications. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an improved telecommunications system that provides enhanced compatibility among the systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional communication systems, particularly private branch exchange communication systems, employ a system software that essentially coincides for various versions of expansion. These are available as what are referred to as smaller or medium-sized enlarged communication systems of a system series. Each system within the system series classified in an ascending sequence given the approximately same system concept is in turn to be variably designed in view of the connection possibilities for subscriber lines and of the connection possibilities for special systems, particularly public systems.
The hardware platforms of these systems essentially differ on the basis of their structural format, the nature of the backplane wiring and on the basis of the format. For example, this may be the dimensions of the peripheral assemblies. This leads to the fact that, due to these differences, an assembly developed for specific functions of, for example, a medium-sized or, respectively, large system in this series cannot be utilized in what is referred to as a smaller system. Due to the differences in the dimension, in the interfaces and in the mechanical plug-type connectors, they must be newly developed platform-related. This relates, for example, to specific performance features and specific office or, respectively data network accesses that, for example, are fundamentally present only for the more highly classified systems in the system series. This then leads to the fact that such specific solutions that are only provided for a limited number of such smaller systems can only be realized with a high cost.